Eastern Michigan Athletics
Football Places Seven on Athlon All-MAC Preseason Teams
5/30/2019 11:24:00 AM | Football
Steve Nielsen and Kevin McGill collected first team accolades
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Seven Eastern Michigan University football student-athletes were named Preseason All-MAC by Athlon Sports, the magazine announced this week.
Senior offensive lineman Steve Nielsen (Dragoer, Denmark-La Lumiere (Ind.) School) and senior defensive back Kevin McGill (Waldorf, Md.-Westlake) landed spots on the All-MAC first team. Meanwhile, senior defensive backs Vince Calhoun (Middletown, Ohio-Middletown) and Brody Hoying (Coldwater, Ohio-Coldwater) collected Second Team and Third Team All-MAC honors, respectively.
The Eagles rounded out their All-MAC honors with an additional three selections to the fourth team, including senior wide receiver Arthur Jackson III (Oakland, Calif.-Wood-American River College), junior punter Jake Julien (Barrie, Ontario-North Collegiate), and senior running back Shaq Vann (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams).
Nielsen started all 13 games at right tackle in 2018 for an Eastern Michigan line that led the way for a pass-heavy offense. A Third Team All-MAC selection helped an EMU offense that ranked third nationally in fewest interceptions thrown (4) and 11th in turnover margin (+0.77).
Part of an experienced EMU secondary that ranked third in the league in interceptions and 33rd nationally in 2018, McGill finished last year tied for the team lead with three picks to go along with 38 tackles. His three INTs were second-most in the MAC and tied for 55th in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks. According to Pro Football Focus, McGill led all MAC cornerbacks in catch rate and allowed a mere 34.4 passer rating during his junior campaign. For his efforts, he was a Second Team All-MAC honoree in 2018.
A Third Team All-MAC selection for the second time in 2018, Calhoun continued to lead the Eagles' secondary last season. His 84 stops ranked second-most on the team in 2018, while his three interceptions were tied for the most by an Eagle as well as second-most in the conference. He also tallied two tackles-for-loss, including a sack. Calhoun sealed Eastern's seventh win of the year with a fourth-quarter interception at Kent State University, Nov. 23.
Hoying, a three-time Academic All-MAC selection and two-time All-MAC honoree, recorded the fifth-most tackles of any Eagle and 29th-most in the conference with 69 on the season. For his efforts, he earned Third-Team All-MAC recognition. Overall, Hoying's 8.5 tackles-for-loss ranked 10th in the league as EMU finished third nationally in fewest passing yards allowed at just 150.2 a contest.
Jackson started all 13 games for the Green and White in his first season in Ypsilanti, finishing the season with 592 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. He recorded 84 yards on six receptions in Eastern's 20-19 defeat of Purdue (Sept. 8) and followed it up with his first EMU touchdown on a 76-yard reception at Buffalo (Sept. 15). Jackson closed the year with a career-best performance of 86 yards and two scores against Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl (Dec. 15).
Named the MAC West Division Special Teams Player of the Week a school-record five times in 2018, Julien finished the regular season tied for first in the MAC and 25th nationally in punting with an average of 43.6 yards per punt. He registered 13 punts of 50-or-more yards with 24 downed inside the 20-yard line. Julien is the only EMU player in records that date back to 1959 to have recorded two punts of 70-or-more yards in their career.
Vann appeared in 11 games for the Eagles, starting at running back in seven matchups. He led all EMUs running backs with 590 yards and five touchdowns. A two-time Doak Walker Award preseason candidate, Vann recorded a season-best 114 rushing yards and a touchdown against Central Michigan University, Nov. 3.
The 2019 EMU football season will feature a year-long series of events, initiatives, and programming centered around fans, student-athletes, and the community. The celebration will salute the five decades of student-athletes that have played inside Rynearson Stadium as well as the more than 2.8 million fans who have passed through the turnstiles to watch one of the 252 home games in the venue. Furthermore, the College Football 150th Anniversary celebration will be recognized at all divisions of the collegiate game during the 2019 season.
Fans can now order reserved non-chairback season tickets for just $90 ($18 per game). EMU faculty and staff can secure season tickets for $70 ($14 per game), while youth season tickets are just $50 ($10 per game). In addition, EMU continues to offer the Ultimate Fan Season Ticket Plan for $150 ($30 per game). The premiere plan includes a padded chairback seat and VIP parking in the Convocation Center lots.
Buying a season ticket is your best deal as you will save 38 percent when compared to the single-game rate. Tickets are now on sale at EMUEagles.com/tickets, by calling 734.487.3669 or by visiting the EMU Ticket Office.
Senior offensive lineman Steve Nielsen (Dragoer, Denmark-La Lumiere (Ind.) School) and senior defensive back Kevin McGill (Waldorf, Md.-Westlake) landed spots on the All-MAC first team. Meanwhile, senior defensive backs Vince Calhoun (Middletown, Ohio-Middletown) and Brody Hoying (Coldwater, Ohio-Coldwater) collected Second Team and Third Team All-MAC honors, respectively.
The Eagles rounded out their All-MAC honors with an additional three selections to the fourth team, including senior wide receiver Arthur Jackson III (Oakland, Calif.-Wood-American River College), junior punter Jake Julien (Barrie, Ontario-North Collegiate), and senior running back Shaq Vann (South Bend, Ind.-John Adams).
Nielsen started all 13 games at right tackle in 2018 for an Eastern Michigan line that led the way for a pass-heavy offense. A Third Team All-MAC selection helped an EMU offense that ranked third nationally in fewest interceptions thrown (4) and 11th in turnover margin (+0.77).
Part of an experienced EMU secondary that ranked third in the league in interceptions and 33rd nationally in 2018, McGill finished last year tied for the team lead with three picks to go along with 38 tackles. His three INTs were second-most in the MAC and tied for 55th in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) ranks. According to Pro Football Focus, McGill led all MAC cornerbacks in catch rate and allowed a mere 34.4 passer rating during his junior campaign. For his efforts, he was a Second Team All-MAC honoree in 2018.
A Third Team All-MAC selection for the second time in 2018, Calhoun continued to lead the Eagles' secondary last season. His 84 stops ranked second-most on the team in 2018, while his three interceptions were tied for the most by an Eagle as well as second-most in the conference. He also tallied two tackles-for-loss, including a sack. Calhoun sealed Eastern's seventh win of the year with a fourth-quarter interception at Kent State University, Nov. 23.
Hoying, a three-time Academic All-MAC selection and two-time All-MAC honoree, recorded the fifth-most tackles of any Eagle and 29th-most in the conference with 69 on the season. For his efforts, he earned Third-Team All-MAC recognition. Overall, Hoying's 8.5 tackles-for-loss ranked 10th in the league as EMU finished third nationally in fewest passing yards allowed at just 150.2 a contest.
Jackson started all 13 games for the Green and White in his first season in Ypsilanti, finishing the season with 592 receiving yards and five receiving touchdowns. He recorded 84 yards on six receptions in Eastern's 20-19 defeat of Purdue (Sept. 8) and followed it up with his first EMU touchdown on a 76-yard reception at Buffalo (Sept. 15). Jackson closed the year with a career-best performance of 86 yards and two scores against Georgia Southern in the Camellia Bowl (Dec. 15).
Named the MAC West Division Special Teams Player of the Week a school-record five times in 2018, Julien finished the regular season tied for first in the MAC and 25th nationally in punting with an average of 43.6 yards per punt. He registered 13 punts of 50-or-more yards with 24 downed inside the 20-yard line. Julien is the only EMU player in records that date back to 1959 to have recorded two punts of 70-or-more yards in their career.
Vann appeared in 11 games for the Eagles, starting at running back in seven matchups. He led all EMUs running backs with 590 yards and five touchdowns. A two-time Doak Walker Award preseason candidate, Vann recorded a season-best 114 rushing yards and a touchdown against Central Michigan University, Nov. 3.
The 2019 EMU football season will feature a year-long series of events, initiatives, and programming centered around fans, student-athletes, and the community. The celebration will salute the five decades of student-athletes that have played inside Rynearson Stadium as well as the more than 2.8 million fans who have passed through the turnstiles to watch one of the 252 home games in the venue. Furthermore, the College Football 150th Anniversary celebration will be recognized at all divisions of the collegiate game during the 2019 season.
Fans can now order reserved non-chairback season tickets for just $90 ($18 per game). EMU faculty and staff can secure season tickets for $70 ($14 per game), while youth season tickets are just $50 ($10 per game). In addition, EMU continues to offer the Ultimate Fan Season Ticket Plan for $150 ($30 per game). The premiere plan includes a padded chairback seat and VIP parking in the Convocation Center lots.
Buying a season ticket is your best deal as you will save 38 percent when compared to the single-game rate. Tickets are now on sale at EMUEagles.com/tickets, by calling 734.487.3669 or by visiting the EMU Ticket Office.
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